


This is the end

by Real_Life_Mermaid



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angels, Angst, Archangels, Fluff, Hunter School, Legacies, M/M, Men of Letters Bunker, Speculation, The Winchester Gospels (Supernatural), all the hurt, finale, how will the series end?, i guess suicide if you squint really hard, major character deaths, maybe don't read if you're triggered by that, mild Destiel, spn family forever, the end is only the beginning, the family lives on, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2020-01-07 12:34:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18410750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Real_Life_Mermaid/pseuds/Real_Life_Mermaid
Summary: Choices.That’s what it’s always been about, right? The never-ending chain of difficult choices. Impossible choices. But this… this was the most impossible of all.This was the end.





	1. The Post Michael Peace

**Author's Note:**

> Bear with me, I'm super sad about so many shows and movies ending right now. This is my little speculation of how I'd like to see the series end. Surrounded by love and with a message for the fans.

Choices.

That’s what it’s always been about, right? The never-ending chain of difficult choices. Impossible choices. But this… this was the most impossible of all.

This was the end.

\---------

Sam, Dean, Jack and Castiel had quite a run once Michael was defeated. Once Jack re-learned to harness his new powers, Team Free Will 2.0 became an unstoppable force against the monsters, ghosts and demons alongside Mary, Charlie, Bobby and Rowena. However, as the years went by, there was no denying that Sam and Dean weren’t getting any younger. The Winchester brothers began to realize they needed to leave a legacy behind.

Sam had been hit hard when his team was brutally slaughtered by Michael. He carried their weight on his shoulders for the rest of his life. It took a few years, some coaxing from Dean and assurances that the world was a much safer place than it was before, but Sam ultimately honored the memory of his team by opening their bunker back up to other hunters. This new group consisted of both new and seasoned hunters and, before long, Sam was back in commander mode. He took over teaching them about research, lore, mythology and coordinated sending them in teams across the country to solve cases. Everything was meticulously documented by him and stored in the Men of Letters archives alongside the dusty old volumes of years past that had saved their asses more than once. Thanks to Sam, the Winchesters would be leaving a well-organized wealth of knowledge behind for future hunters.

Dean was being, well, typical Dean.  Alternating between drinking beer in front of some trash tv show and fine-tuning his beloved Baby, Dean settled surprisingly well into a more home-based life. He would still occasionally get an “itch” to kill something and accompany a team on a hunt. But mostly, he took over weaponry training with the new recruits. Weapons were his forte – next to cars of course – and he spent countless hours going over what kills what, how to make bullets for different monsters, and, more importantly, how to actually use many of these rather unconventional weapons. He even pulled a favor with Rowena to teach him some basic potions to use as weapons. He turned out to be a phenomenal teacher, patient and watchful. Thanks to Dean, the team was well armed and highly skilled.

Jack, despite being the most powerful being to ever exist, remained his usual down-to-earth self. He was the only one of the four who had recent experience being trained as a hunter and provided tips and tricks of the trade as well as advice and someone the newbies could relate to. He taught them the basics of hand-to-hand combat, just as “other world” Bobby had once taught him during his time as a new (albeit short lived) human. However, he had an aptitude for healing. When Sam caught wind of someone injured during a hunt, Jack was on it. What he couldn’t heal with his angel powers, he could be found buried in some ancient tome for a potion, spell, or other method. Thanks to Jack, their team hadn’t had a single death.

Castiel was simply present. A cosmic being as old as the universe itself, the seraph was perfectly positioned to provide support, knowledge or assistance wherever it was needed. As a former commander of an angel battalion, Castiel provided strategic advice to Sam and aided him in research. Magical weapons, especially angelic weapons, were Castiel’s specialty and he aided Dean in showing other hunters how to safely use them. While Castiel’s wings were permanently shredded and broken from the Fall, he would still help Jack with healing and ensuring the hunters were kept safe and healthy. Mostly, though, Castiel just enjoyed being in the company of those he loved most. Thanks to Castiel, their team had a solid support and a shining example of the team’s unofficial motto “family don’t end in blood.”

But the angel was hiding a 5 year long secret. The deal he had made with the Shadow, trading his life for Jack’s. With things falling so well into place, Castiel knew the Shadow was going to come for him soon. He tried his best to keep his guard up, to keep himself from ever feeling truly happy. Castiel managed to hold out for another year before his carefully built wall came crumbling down and the Shadow yanked him back to the Empty.


	2. The Disappearance of Castiel

It had been a particularly good day. Everyone had returned from their hunts successful in their endeavors with only minor scrapes and bruises. With no additional cases immediately apparent, they all celebrated with a rare night off. Mary and Bobby retreated to their remote cabin while Charlie and Rowena took off to stir up trouble Chuck knows where. Some of the younger hunters went to town to enjoy the nightlife (or, whatever passes as nightlife in a boondock town like Lebanon). Sam, Dean, Castiel, Jack and a few others stayed home, ordered pizza, drank copious amounts of alcohol and just generally let their hair down for the first time in a while. As the hours began to tick by, their little army one by one began to trickle off to bed for some much needed sleep. Eventually, Castiel and Dean found themselves alone on the couch in the “Fortress of Deanitude” talking and laughing about their favorite memories from the past 15 years.

It was then that Castiel made the fatal mistake of letting his guard down, if only for a fleeting fraction of a second, but that was all it took. The next thing Castiel knew, he found himself thrown across the room, crashing into the bar. Momentarily stunned, his vision shifted to focus on the face that was now inches from his. Dean’s face, only… it wasn’t.  “Surprise,” came the familiar voice from Dean’s mouth.

When Dean came to, he found himself on the floor surrounded by splinters of wood, shattered glass and liquor… and Castiel was gone. Sam came bursting through the door with Jack hot on his heels. “Dean, what the hell happened?! We thought a bomb went off, the entire bunker rattled!” “Cas… it took Cas!” Dean yelled, beginning to panic. In that moment, they could hear doors slamming and yelling as other members of their team came running to investigate. “What? What took Cas? Where is he?” Sam asked, confused. “The...” Dean started, rubbing his head and trying to remember. “The… shadow? Something about a shadow?” Dean looked up at Sam and Jack for an answer as more and more of their team stumbled into the room brandishing weapons and asking what was going on. Sam looked just as confused as Dean felt, but Jack… Jack’s face fell. “Jack, do know something about this?” Dean asked. “Castiel asked me not to say anything,” Jack responded. Dean climbed shakily to his feet with Sam’s help as the adrenaline wore off and the whiskey still in his system reared its ugly head. “Castiel is gone, Jack. He’s been taken. We need to know,” Sam tried gently, but Dean was having none of it. “Come on, kid, out with it! What the hell is going on?”

Jack relayed in detail to everyone now gathered in the room the deal Castiel had made with the Shadow, trading his own life for Jack’s in something called the Empty. With this new information, Sam and Dean immediately pooled all their resources and manpower from their whole team into finding out as much as they could about the Shadow and the Empty and, more importantly, how to get Castiel back.

Two days later, the angels showed up.


	3. The Angels' Plight

It was 3 in the morning.

While the rest of the team finally succumbed to exhaustion, Sam and Dean were running on their 36th hour of no sleep, desperate for any clues to the Empty and how to crack it. Jack, of course, didn’t need much sleep and was still flipping away through a stack of books when…

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The sudden pounding on the metal door echoed loudly through the bunker. Wide-awake now, Sam and Dean grabbed their weapons and immediately fell into hunter mode. Sam waited at ground level, gun drawn, accompanied by Jack, eyes glowing, and ready for whatever might come through that door. Dean crept up the stairs clutching an angel blade. Upon reaching the door, he grabbed the handle, gave Sam a knowing nod and, in one quick move, threw the door open.

“Now, now, Dean, is that how you welcome everyone?”

To their surprise, Naomi stood on the threshold with Duma, both seemingly unfazed by the Winchesters’ attempt at intimidation. “What do you want?” Dean immediately shot back. “To talk,” Naomi replied simply. “Why should we trust you?” Sam shouted from below, gun still raised. Naomi’s unwavering gaze never left Dean’s face as she responded with the only thing Dean needed to hear: “It concerns Castiel.”

Regrouped in the library, Naomi and Duma relayed to Dean, Sam, Jack and their entire group of hunters who were startled from their sleep by the banging on the door, the dilemma they all now faced. With Castiel gone and the other angels dead, it was just the two of them barely keeping heaven running. But their power was quickly fading and the fall of billions of souls was imminent. Billions of souls that were soon with nowhere to go but back to Earth to haunt the living. It was a disaster in the making. Unless…

“Unless Jack denounces his humanity and becomes full fledged archangel,” Naomi stated frankly. “Absolutely not,” Dean and Sam said practically in unison. “Just… hear us out. Please,” Duma begged. “Trust me, considering all of us have tried to kill each other multiple times, we would absolutely not be here unless it was an emergency. As in, the fate of the world rests in your hands kind of emergency.”  “In the absence of any archangels, he’s the only one currently with the power to create new angels to keep heaven running,” Naomi explained. “What does all this have to do with Cas?” Dean asked. “With the power of Heaven behind you, maybe, just maybe, you might be able to find a way to bring him back,” was all Naomi said.

“I’ll do it,” Jack piped up. “Jack, no,” Sam immediately replied. “There’s got to be a better way. You’ve spent your whole life down here with us. Considering who your father is, your humanity might be the only thing keeping you grounded. Who knows what your powers would be like if you give that up.” “But Sam, this is Heaven we’re talking about here. Billions of souls are about to fall!” Jack fought back. “We have to do something!” “Kid, no, come on, Sam’s right. We will find a better way. We always do.” Dean finished. At that point, Naomi held up her hand for silence. “If I may finish,” she said, “I can offer you an alternative.”

Duma came forward, slowly approaching Sam and Dean where they sat against the edge of the library table. “Sam, Dean… the alternative… is you.” “US? What do you mean us?” Sam inquired. “Either Jack sacrifices his humanity for heaven, or you do.” Naomi clarified. Duma continued “You were once destined to host an archangel. Perhaps, instead, you are now destined to become ones. As the former perfect vessels for two of the most powerful archangels to exist, you would be more than capable of holding and wielding that authority, creating new angels and keeping heaven running. Jack has the ability to give you that power.” “This is your choice,” Naomi concluded. “There is no better way, there is no time to even look for one. Heaven is hanging on by a thread with the fate of living close behind. A decision needs to be made, and quickly. You have 3 hours.”

With a flap of wings, Naomi and Duma disappeared.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If some of the speech sounds familiar it's because I took inspiration from Misha's really heartfelt letter he wrote to the SPN family...

The bunker went eerily silent. Despite their entire team currently sitting around the library, still staring at the spot Naomi and Duma were standing, it was as if no one even dared to breathe. Finally, Dean broke the silence. “Well… This is it then, I guess.” Sam immediately spoke up, “Dean, wait, think about this. This can’t be our only option. We need… We can…” Sam trailed off seeing the look on Dean’s face. “Let’s face it, Sam,” Dean continued, voice beginning to crack, “we’ve finally run out of options, of better ways of doing things. Only Chuck knows how we’ve held out this long. But this is it. This is the end of the line, Sammy.”

The room around them erupted with voices as their team suddenly spoke up in protest. With some coaxing from Sam, they died down and gave Sam, Dean and Jack some space to speak privately. The three of them headed to Dean’s room to discuss the options before them. Jack spoke up first. The very second Dean’s door was shut, he let them have it.

“No. No, no, no, you guys can’t do this. You can’t give up everything you have here! Our team relies on you!” he shouted. “They need you. I need you!” “Jack…” Dean put his hands on Jack’s shoulders, “...kid, look, Sammy and I, we’ve been doing this practically our whole lives. We always knew the day would come. Hell, what do you think we’ve been doing these last several years training this team? We’ve done all we can to prepare. With you, Bobby, Rowena, Charlie and everyone else, you don’t even need us anymore.” Jack opened his mouth to protest when Sam cut in. “I hate to say it, Jack, but Dean is right. We’ve done all we can here. As archangels, we might be able to do even more. If the fate of the world rests on this then… we’re ready to defend it. We always have been, always will be, and at least this way, we go out on our own terms.” “And hopefully have the power to get Cas back in the process,” Dean finished. Jack looked devastated as tears rolled down his face. “You… you can’t…” he choked out before Dean pulled Jack into a bear hug. Sam threw his lanky arms around the both of them. “Jack, we’re so proud of you. We all may not have gotten off on the right foot at first, but now… don’t ever forget, you are a Winchester now. We’re proud to have been your dads,” Sam said through tears of his own.

The three of them stood in embrace for a minute before parting. “Jack, if you’re up for it, do you think you could get mom, Bobby, Rowena and Charlie back here?” Sam asked. Wiping his face, Jack took a deep breath, nodded and disappeared with a rustle of wings. Dean put his hand on Sam’s shoulder, “Ready, Sammy?” With a nod, the two of them went back to the library to face their team.

By the time they reached the library, Jack had already returned with his four rather confused and disheveled charges. “Jack, honey, what’s going on?” “The hell you doin’ just grabbin’ people like that, boy?” “Wee lad, I’m 300 years old, I need me beauty sleep.” “Ok, this is not Harry Potter, you can’t just teleport people like that!”

Gathering their team around, Sam cleared his throat and began. “The fate of the world is once again at stake. Heaven is about to fall. Billions of souls that are soon with nowhere to go but back to Earth. Like Naomi and Duma said, they need power. They need angels. Only an archangel can make new angels. So it’s come down to either Jack gives up his humanity or Dean and I do. It’s not an easy decision. Our whole life has been one impossible decision after the next. But we have spent it preparing to lay down our lives to do what needs to be done to save our family, to save the world. The only difference this time is, it seems fate is finally taking us up on that offer.” A clamor from their group began to rise in protest but Dean spoke up.

“Saving people, hunting things, the family business. There was once a time I thought that just meant Sammy and I carrying on what our dad started and what we later found out our mom did too. We got into this with the notion that we’d hunt monsters and eventually go out in a blaze of guts and glory. Settling down, starting a family, living the white picket fence, apple pie life was never the life we were destined to live. But a wise man once said ‘family don’t end in blood.’ As it turns out, we had a family form right under our noses and it took us too damn long to realize it. While we certainly don’t have anything close to that apple pie life, we wouldn’t trade this for anything.” Dean’s voice cracked in that moment and he trailed off.

Sam stepped in to continue, “Dean and I have lost more people than we can count. We’ve died ourselves multiple times. We’ve struggled with faith: faith in each other, in ourselves, in others. There has been a lot to mourn but a lot more to celebrate. We’ve had our triumphs over evil. We’ve watched the world become a safer place and have been proud to have played a part in that. Most of all though, we’ve watch you all. We’ve watched you learn and grow. I know I speak for Dean, Castiel and myself when I say that we are so proud of you.” Sam paused to look a tearful Jack in the eye, “of ALL of you. We thought the whole family business thing would end with us. But, thanks to you, innocent people will continue to be saved. You are all the next generation of hunters, of legacies.”

“And we will be watching!” Dean piped in with a light chuckle through sniffles and tears. “If there’s anything we have learned, it’s that death is never a goodbye. Just a ‘see you later.’ Ending are really just a beginning in disguise. We may have been brought together by tragedy, by experiencing things no one should have to experience, but we’re all family now, and that’s not going anywhere. We’ve already impacted the world for the better… and now, we’re just getting started.”


	5. The Rise of the Archangels

The next 2 hours were spent doling out responsibilities and creating a new hierarchy within the bunker. Jack, Bobby and Mary would head up the new team with Charlie stepping in when she could, each of them with new roles to play to continue to both coordinate the current team and train new recruits. With half an hour left, Sam and Dean retreated into the halls of the bunker to take a private moment with their mom as the rest of the group settled into their grief. The feeling in the library was uneasy as they all held their breath, watched the clock and waited.

When the clock ticked the 3rd hour, a rustle of wings and gust of air announced the angels’ return. Naomi and Duma stood in the same place they previously disappeared from at the head of the library table. Tears began anew with several members of their team. “Judging by the emotion in this room, I assume a decision has been made.” Naomi stated blankly. The crowd parted as Sam, Dean and Mary made their way into the library from the halls. The brothers stood one on each side of their mother, all red-eyed from crying and holding her hands. “Yes, we’ve made our decision,” Dean responded. “Sam and I will go.” “Somehow, I’m not surprised. Sam and Dean swooping in to save the day, yet again,” Naomi retorted before dropping her normally harsh tone, “but, the world will be eternally grateful for your sacrifice. Perhaps, from here on out, things will change for the better. With you two watching over humanity for eternity, perhaps we might finally have peace.”

Sam and Dean squeezed Mary’s hands a little tighter as Duma stepped forward and held her hands out. “Are you ready?” she asked softly. “One quick condition,” Dean said. “Once this is done, I’m not making anything until we at least try to bring Castiel back. You promised.” Duma looked back at Naomi who tilted her head at Dean. “Very well. Between you, Sam and Jack, we just might be able to crack the door open just enough for Castiel to rejoin us. Only Castiel. Unfortunately, pulling more than that out of the Empty will create an imbalance, resulting in another war. One we can’t hope to win in our current state.” Dean nodded in understanding.

With that, Dean brought his mom’s hand to his lips, kissing the back of her hand and whispering “I love you” to her before stepping forward to Duma. Sam pulled Mary and Jack in for one last hug before joining his brother. “Wait, sorry, one more thing. Hey Jack,” Dean called, pulling a set of keys from his pocket, “here. She’s all yours. Take good care of her, huh?” he said, dropping the keys to his beloved baby to Jack’s outstretched hand. Tears welling up in his eyes, Dean sniffled, patted Jack on the shoulder and quickly stepped back.  “Ready,” he finished with a nod and a deep breath.

“Jack,” Naomi started, “you have the ability to give them their wings, but we need archangel power. It will drain you almost completely. You’ll be left with your wings and enough grace that you will still be angel. But you will no longer be as powerful as you currently are. Do you accept these conditions?” Clutching the impala keys, all Jack could do was nod. “Very well,” Naomi continued. She conjured up a page on which an echonian spell was written. “Here, use your powers and say this spell. Concentrate as hard as you can on your goal and it will be done.” Jack took the page, glancing back at Sam and Dean. “It’s ok, Jack. You got this,” Sam encouraged, giving him a small, sad smile. “We’ll be seeing you, kid,” Dean added.

As soon as Jack spoke the first word on the paper, he began to light up. The further he read, the brighter the light got until the shadows of his wings faded into view against the back wall. And still, he continued to glow ever brighter. As he uttered the last word, Jack’s grace surged forward and hit the Winchester brothers in an explosion of light. The effect was an instantaneous electrical storm that visibly surged through their bodies. Light swirled around the library like a hurricane, faster and faster as it began to condense into two golden balls of light where Sam and Dean both stood. Suddenly, there was a split second of silence followed by a deafening sonic boom and a powerful shock wave tore through the room, knocking everyone and everything over in the process.

When Mary, Rowena, Bobby, Charlie and everyone else slowly picked themselves up, the violent effects had settled and given way to something soft and ethereal. Before them was an otherworldly site: Jack, with his light fading as his remaining grace retreated within, stood facing a two pulsating mists of golden light. The light swirled and shifted, as if unsure what to do or where to go. Duma came around to stand next to Jack. “Sam and Dean, it is an honor to welcome you to the rank of archangel,” she said. “Your grace still retains the memory of your original form if you concentrate hard enough. This memory will fade in time.  But for now, please, join us here.” It took a minute, but the shifting golden light slowly materialized back into Sam and Dean, seemingly in the flesh but now made of nothing but atom and grace.


	6. The Start of Eternity

“How do you feel?” Mary asked, stepping forward hesitantly. “I… I’m not sure yet,” Dean said, looking at his hands. Suddenly, Sam lit up, the shadows of an enormous pair of wings unfurling behind him. “Woah! How’d you do that?!” Dean stuttered. Sam laughed, waving his hand through the misty golden light he was shrouded in. “I don’t know! Just, concentrate I guess!” Dean took a deep breath, closed his eyes and scrunched up his face in concentration. With a sudden gasp, he too began to glow, a second large pair of wings joining the shadows of Sam’s. Sam let out a jubilant laugh that Dean had only heard a few times in their lives. Sam looked up at Mary. “I feel… amazing!” he said. Mary gave her boys a teary-eyed smile, wrapping her arms around Jack and leaning her head on his shoulder. He responded by resting his head against hers. Bobby and Charlie joined them in their embrace. Rowena had never been one for emotion but Dean could not help but notice her wipe away a tear.

After a moment, the light and wings faded and the room returned to normal. Dean immediately turned to face Naomi and spoke up, “Ok, it’s done, now you promised.” Holding up her hands in submission, Naomi responded, “I know, I know… Castiel. That’s what this is all _really_ about, right?” Dean pursed his lips but said nothing. “That’s what I thought,” Naomi said. “But a promise is a promise and we haven’t a moment to lose. We need to rebuild heaven so let’s get this over with. Jack, if you could join us please.” Mary let go of Jack who stepped forward towards the Winchester brothers. Naomi and Duma stepped in as well, forming a circle of sorts. Duma held out her hand to Dean on her left and her other one to Jack on her right. The men quickly caught on and soon, the 5 angels were all holding hands, creating a large circle. “Unfortunately, Jack’s case is the only known instance of an angel being awoken in the Empty. There’s no spell or procedure. All we can do is replicate Jack’s longing. The Shadow will likely be prepared this time, burying Castiel deep in the darkness. I do not think Jack could have done this again on his own. But with all of us, we might succeed. All we need to do is… concentrate. Call out to him.”

At that, Naomi’s eyes began to glow as she tilted her head back. Duma immediately followed suit. Jack, Sam and Dean all looked around at each other before they too took on that eerie stance. Though the others were silent in their task, Dean called out audibly. “Cas! Castiel! Wake up! Come back to us, to me. Please wake up. Cas?” Mary was the first to step forward and put her hand on Jack’s shoulder. She closed her eyes and began to concentrate on Castiel’s name, listening intently to Dean’s please. Within seconds, every person in that room was linked by hand or shoulder touch, all concentrating on waking Castiel. After several minutes of this, they were beginning to give up hope when, suddenly…

“Dean?” The trance broke and every set of eyes snapped open to the source of the sound. There, on the war room table, sat Castiel. “Dean, what… how…” Castiel slowly picked himself up off the table as everyone watched in awe. With two feet now on the floor, Castiel looked up at Sam and Dean and froze. His eyes widened as he spotted something no one else but the angels could see. Sam and Dean were coursing with grace. Behind each of them were a pair of golden wings. “No… no Dean what have you done?!” With a rustle of wings, Dean was instantly inches from Castiel. Those inches were quickly closed as Dean grabbed Castiel’s face, lips crashing hard together at first before the angels melted into each other’s embrace. It was a kiss built out of 15 years of repressed feelings. A kiss that had been waiting for too damn long. A kiss so powerful, it opened a doorway to heaven in lieu of having to return to the sandbox.

When they broke apart, Naomi approached them. “Castiel, welcome back.” “Naomi,” Castiel responded, clearly still flustered and clearing his throat. “What happened here?” “We will get you up to speed later. For now, heaven is in need of new angels.” She turned to Sam and Dean. “Time to go,” was all she said before she and Duma stepped through the portal and were consumed by a fog of bluish white light. Dean let go of Castiel to give his mother and Jack one last hug. “We’ll be watching over you,” he said. Sam did the same. Together, they turned towards the portal. Castiel stood there, hand outstretched to Dean. Dean took Castiel’s hand and let him lead them through. Looking back over their shoulders, Sam and Dean watched the bunker slowly disappear. As they walked through a tunnel of light, other faces came forward. Familiar, smiling faces, all lined up on either side to greet them. Bobby and Charlie. THEIR Bobby and Charlie. Jo, Ellen, Pamela, Rufus, Kevin, their grandparents, hunter friends, and at the end of the line stood John Winchester, absolutely beaming at his sons. He threw an arm around Sam’s shoulders. With John and Castiel leading the way, Sam and Dean took their celestial form and entered their new realm. They were home.


	7. The Family Continues

_Choices._

_That’s what it’s always been about, right? The never-ending chain of difficult choices. Impossible choices. But this… this was the most impossible of all._

_This was the end. But really… it was only just the beginning._

Castiel flipped the massive book closed, its leather-bound cover revealing “The Winchester Gospels” in gold letters across the front. He looked up from the book to look around the room. Scattered around the library were the newest batch of hunters. Some leaning in chairs, some sprawled out on the ground with blankets and pillows, but all were fixated on Castiel, listening intently. “And that,” he continued, “is the story of Sam and Dean Winchester. They went on to create an entirely new heavenly host, keeping heaven running and keeping the peace between heaven and hell. It has been nearly 50 years now since they departed this earth. But the sacrifices they have made are the reason you, and so many others before you, have trained here in this bunker. Their initials are still carved into this table today,” he paused, running his fingers over the library table nearly completely covered in carved letters. In the center of them all was the unmistakable S.W. and D.W. “They have brought you all together with a united purpose: to continue the legacy of saving innocent people from supernatural beings. And the occasional deranged human, I suppose.”

“You know, the family business!” one of them shouted, much to the amusement of the rest of them. Castiel chuckled, “Yes, the family business. But the reason I read this story to all new hunters is so you know what you’re fighting for. You all are here voluntarily, of your own accord, most of you because you’ve experienced some tragedy at the hands of monsters or demons. It’s important to remember that you are not alone. While Sam and Dean have helped pave a path for you to follow, it’s a path that is not easily traveled and will require sacrifice, pain and hard work. However, it has already lead you to each other and, in the end, if you’re willing to work together to travel it, it will lead you to redemption and forgiveness. Weapons and combat training and magic are powerful, sure. But there’s something infinitely more powerful than anything I have ever encountered in my eons of existence: hope. You all give this world hope and that… well that’s just about the most extraordinary thing a person can give.”

Every person in that room broke into a smile at that, looking around the room at each other and a chatter grew. Castiel beamed at them proudly and gathered the book to take his leave. But before he could do so, one of the hunters, a girl named Samantha, threw her hand in the air. “Castiel?” “Yes, Samantha, did you have a question?” The room grew quiet once more. She timidly lowered her hand, suddenly looking embarrassed. “I… I was wondering…” “Go on, you have no reason to be afraid or shy here.” At that, she sat up a little straighter and took a deep breath. “I was wondering… what happened to make you happy?” “To make me happy? I don’t understand,” he responded with his trademarked squinty-eyed head tilt. “The day the Shadow took you back to the Empty. Only when you were finally and truly happy did the Shadow say he would come. So what happened to make you feel that?”

Castiel was thrown off by this. 50 years he’s been reading this story to new hunters, yet usually they ask for a recap of a monster fight or ask questions about heaven, hell or purgatory. But this was a story that he had purposefully asked Chuck to leave out (yes Chuck had returned, not that they needed him to, but he had finished writing the Winchester Gospels and returned with Amara who now ruled over Hell). It was a deeply personal story that he had never told anyone. _But there’s a first time for everything,_ he thought to himself. It had been a long time and it was something he now felt comfortable sharing. Everyone knew about him and Dean by now, even if they didn’t know the story of how it happened. Castiel looked down at his lap and smiled. Using his angel powers, he darkened the room and conjured up his memory right there on the table, almost like a 3D movie. Everyone scrambled closer to the table to watch.

\----------------------------------------------------

_It had been a particularly good day. Everyone had returned from their hunts successful in their endeavors with only minor scrapes and bruises. With no additional cases immediately apparent, they all celebrated with a rare night off. Eventually, Castiel and Dean found themselves alone on the couch in the “Fortress of Deanitude” talking and laughing about their favorite memories from the past 15 years._

_"You know, Cas, I hate that my favorite memory is linked to my worst nightmare,” Dean said. “What would that be?” Castiel asked. Taking another sip of his whiskey, Dean leaned back into the couch to look Castiel in the eyes. In a small voice, he replied “I still get nightmares of my time in hell.” “But how would that lead to…” Castiel began to respond before it suddenly dawned on him. “The day you walked into that barn to tell me that you… how’d you put it? ‘Raised me from perdition?’ I did not know at the time what it would mean here, now, 15 years later, but it is one of my closest memories,” Dean said. “If I recall correctly, you shot me multiple times, then stabbed me,” Castiel retorted, trying to hide the smirk from his face. Dean burst out laughing, “well you were being quite the intimidating little shit with the overly dramatic entrance! What’d you expect?!” Castiel could help but roll his eyes and laugh. Once they had both lapsed back into silence, Castiel followed up with “if it helps… it’s my favorite memory as well. In my millions of years in this universe, I never knew happiness, family or… love… until I met you, Dean Winchester.” Dean looked back up, wide-eyed at Castiel. It was all either of them could do, watch the other, gauge reactions, act accordingly. But when Dean began to slowly – ever so slowly – lean in, breathing heavily, Castiel followed suit._ _Right before their lips were about to meet…_

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...the scene faded out and the lights came back on to a collective “AWWW! Noooooo!” from the group gathered around. Castiel was trying hard to stop himself from blushing as he shushed the group. “No no, no more, that was… that was very personal,” Castiel tried to say over the collective protest. Once they died down, he gave a soft smile at the memory. “Even though that was the moment the Shadow came, I don’t, for one moment, regret it. It was the first time in a very VERY long time that I had felt truly and deeply happy.” “Do you get to see Dean very often now?” another girl, Jessica, asked. “I see him every single day,” Castiel answered, looking behind him to the entryway between the library and war room. “In fact, him and Sam are here with us right now. They love listening in to the story when we have a new group.” He turned back around to see several of them straining to try to see whatever it was that Castiel was seeing. “Where?! Where are they?!” a boy, Dante, shouted.

At that, a high pitched ringing began, not loudly enough to harm anyone, but audible enough to know something was going on. Suddenly, the library lights began to flicker and the electricity began to hum. A few seconds of this was all that was needed. The new hunters were shocked into silence, holding their breath, wondering if something else was going to happen. “Their grace no longer retains the memory of their original forms and no human vessel is strong enough to contain them, not that they would ever want to ‘hijack,’ as they would say, another human being anyways. But they are always around.”

Castiel stood up from his chair and began to slowly pace the room. “I do not say it lightly when I say, you are not alone in your struggles or your fights. You not only have each other, but Sam and Dean will always be there. Whenever you have a burst of good luck, know it’s because they’ve got your back. Whenever you have a sudden feeling of overwhelming joy in a moment of triumph, know it’s because they are there celebrating with you. Whenever you are struggling, physically, mentally or emotionally, know they have you in an invisible embrace, encouraging you from afar to keep going. They will find a way to let you know they are there. They have their ways of making sure you know you are loved. We are a family, albeit a very supernatural family. We will always keep fighting. We are, all of us, Winchesters.”

At that moment, Jack walked into the room, stopping short at the sight of them all in the library. “What are you all doing up still? We have a big day of training tomorrow.” “We were just finishing up the Gospels,” Castiel responded. “But I agree with Jack, it’s late, you should all be off to bed now. We start lore training in the morning.” With much grumbling and groaning, the hunters picked themselves up from wherever they sat and headed towards their rooms to a chorus of “good night” and “see you in the morning.” Once they were all out of earshot, Jack turned to Castiel. “You’re needed upstairs,” he said, “just came over angel radio.” “Yeah I heard,” Castiel replied. Jack looked over Castiel’s shoulder, “Hi Sam, Dean,” he called out to the glowing mists of grace that only he and Castiel could see. Turning back to Castiel, he said “I’ll stay with the recruits tonight. See you in the morning?” “Yeah, see you,” Castiel responded with a smile. He clapped a hand on Jack’s shoulder before disappearing with a rustle of wings. Alone in the library now, Jack walked over to the table and picked up the book. Momentarily running his hand across the lettering, he gave a soft smile before returning it to its usual place behind a glass encased shelf. Giving it once last glance, he flicked off the lights and disappeared to his own room, leaving the library once again dark and silent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed reading. If you wanna sob with me, HMU!


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